Attention!
Some big changes to the freetype ebuild. There is no newspr use flag anymore and instead there are 3 new available:
> filter_default - gives same effect as old newspr,
> filter_light - bit different, less blurry but slightly more color artifacts,
> filter_legacy - it's filter used by libXft and Cairo, high contrast but sometimes a lot of color fringing
Attention!

<!--
DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE.
IT WILL BE REPLACED WHEN FONTCONFIG IS UPDATED.
LOCAL CHANGES BELONG IN 'local.conf'.

The intent of this standard configuration file is to be adequate for
most environments. If you have a reasonably normal environment and
have found problems with this configuration, they are probably
things that others will also want fixed. Please submit any
problems to the fontconfig bugzilla system located at fontconfig.org

Note that the normal 'make install' procedure for fontconfig is to
replace any existing fonts.conf file with the new version. Place
any local customizations in local.conf which this file references.

Attention!
Some big changes to the freetype ebuild. There is no newspr use flag anymore and instead there are 3 new available:
> filter_default - gives same effect as old newspr,
> filter_light - bit different, less blurry but slightly more color artifacts,
> filter_legacy - it's filter used by libXft and Cairo, high contrast but sometimes a lot of color fringing
Attention!

As always choose what you like most

compiled latest version with filter_default, and they changed from the newspr I had before. Got considerably worse.

Tried updating fc-cache/removing .fontconfig, and we'll see if it gets better. But I could have sworn my fonts were nicer before

compiled latest version with filter_default, and they changed from the newspr I had before. Got considerably worse.

Tried updating fc-cache/removing .fontconfig, and we'll see if it gets better. But I could have sworn my fonts were nicer before

That's why there are older ebuilds in overlay as well. If you have doubts take screenshot with newer version, compile older version and take screenshot as well and compare There is no difference here between newspr and filter_default (and there shouldn't be because the only difference between these is the name )_________________[HOWTO]New freetype subpixel font rendering for lcd monitors

compiled latest version with filter_default, and they changed from the newspr I had before. Got considerably worse.

Tried updating fc-cache/removing .fontconfig, and we'll see if it gets better. But I could have sworn my fonts were nicer before

That's why there are older ebuilds in overlay as well. If you have doubts take screenshot with newer version, compile older version and take screenshot as well and compare There is no difference here between newspr and filter_default (and there shouldn't be because the only difference between these is the name )

I had some problems when I emerged the new version, but I cleared my .fontconfig directory, reset the settings (to the exact same I had before), and logged out and in again, and it seems good again now

I'm both having problems with the boldy bold fonts, as well as with the "after" shot not looking as good as on your pictures. I did follow the guide, and I did try all what has been suggested.

I'm using the filter_default, and I'm that particular screenshot I cannot see color-artifacts, yet with me they are often visible, combined with a "over-sharpened" look (like I took a screenshot, loaded it in The Gimp and used the sharpen filter). It looks like this only occurs with the firefox(-bin) browser, both the menus and the content. If you look at the gnome-panel, that looks fine.

Also very small fonts, as you can see on the screenshot, are pretty blurry. (the openbox menu has blurry fonts, certainly blurrier than before the switch). Does this have anything to do with small fonts shouldn't be anti-aliased?

I did try this before without the updated ebuilds, and it was even worse than now, so you did help me a bunch already.

edit: the firefox thing is already solved. Turns out to be the fault of running firefox-bin, that one uses different rendering settings, apparently. Now using Bon Echo (firefox home-compiled) and the fonts are great! However, I'd like to know how to get the same result with the firefox-bin. I tried to play with the font settings in about:config, but that doesn't make it as good as this).

edit2: incredible, I must be tired. After restarting openbox, the fonts are fine. And all small fonts in all applications are rendered perfectly. The only thing that still stands, is the boldness, as someone remarked earlier. I feel it is indeed excessive, and it makes the characters vague.

Sorry for late reply
Yes bold fonts do look strange for me too. It would be helpful if you could post your comments about it in savannah bug here:
http://savannah.nongnu.org/bugs/index.php?18374
About fontconfig problem - I have no idea :p I don't have such warnings here (media-libs/fontconfig-2.4.2 -doc -xml)
cat /etc/fonts/conf.d/80-delicious.conf

You may try disabling pango for firefox-bin like this: MOZ_PANGO_DISABLE=1 firefox-bin (may or may not help ). I don't really know if firefox-bin is using static versions of libXft, cairo or freetype. If so that is the problem and you should stick to source ebuild._________________[HOWTO]New freetype subpixel font rendering for lcd monitors

i.e. libwnck is stable in portage and ~ masked in overlay for the same version.
Is a general rule for all overlay packages to be ~ masked? Or they are different despite the same version number?
Is it possible to have the same ~arch keywords in layman overlay packages as in portage?

Right now, unless I remove libwnck from local overlay directory I get "blocking" message for libwnck._________________p3k4

Seize the time, Meribor. Live now; make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again...Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek TNG - The Inner Light